It’s very fitting that, as I’m writing this, our trip down the mountain isn’t a guarantee. For all I know, this might not be my last day on Mount Washington for a while, and after a winter and summer up here, I know better than to say anything for sure. If you’ve ever wondered why the biggest storms seem to hit on Wednesdays, this is why!

 

This is my second ‘goodbye’. This time, the next opportunity won’t be extending my time on Mount Washington, but will be sending me out to Oklahoma, a climate quite different from the others I’ve experienced. Of course, that’s what I said about coming here, so I’m optimistic that Oklahoma will have its own charm and interesting weather. I don’t think I could have anticipated just how much I would have enjoyed such an extreme, unfamiliar environment as Mount Washington. I’m jumping for joy that I’ve gotten a parting taste of winter before leaving. I even got a last chance to de-ice!

Although the summers on Mount Washington don’t match up to the extremity of its winters, there was still so much to see, such as a fantastic rainbow of intense color and a band of thunderstorms with bursts of white and purple lightning. The summer sunsets were some of the best I’ve seen (when they could be seen!). This was also my first New England autumn, and I, like any other newcomer, was blown away by the ripples of gold, red and orange spreading across the mountains.

 

Working as a museum attendant was a new experience, and my first dip into retail. It’s always helpful to stand in the shoes of a different perspective, and this position didn’t disappoint! The sheer number of people visiting the summit this summer was staggering, and I got so excited whenever I could share my interests in the Observatory and the summit’s weather with curious visitors. Thank you to all the kind people who came to visit us, and thank you to the Observatory for allowing me to stay on and help!

I don’t know what I can say about the crew and staff of the Observatory that I haven’t already. I worked with four interns this summer and fall (Simon, Sarah, Griffin and Chloe), all of whom were fantastic people to begin with and a great help in the museum. I wish them all well and hope they’re enjoying their pursuits. The crew has taken me on my first mountain hikes, including the Seek the Peak hike, and continued to teach me more about weather, even though I was no longer in an intern capacity. They’ve introduced me to new music, games and TV shows, too. It’s been a blast just hanging out in the evenings. I’ve also had more opportunities to cuddle with Marty; always a good thing!

I’m trying my best to keep this post from becoming sappier than the New England maple syrup industry, but it’s hard! You spend almost a year with people who share your interests and happen to be just awesome human beings in general, and it’s difficult to say goodbye. It’s good to have hard goodbyes, though: it proves that the people and place you’re leaving meant something important. I hope to stay in touch, and to come back and visit. Until next time!

 

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

-Winnie the Pooh